Lecture details

For each lecture, we provide a list of keywords indicating the content. The school is dedicated to blood microflows. Note that this program reflects the current status of the organization and might be subjected to changes.

The pdfs of the lecture can be found here (password required).

Lecture 1: H. H. Lipowsky. Introduction to Blood Microcirculation

Microvascular architecture, pressure and flow relations, methods for quantitative study, interaction between network architecture and the intrinsic properties of blood. Fundamentals of rheology, in vivo vs in vitro viscosity.

Lecture 2: N. Mohandas. Red blood cell physics

RBC physics in the circulation: Membrane structure, basic red cell properties, cell deformability, interaction with endothelial cells

Lecture 3: H. H. Lipowsky. Microfluidics in vivo. Importance in physiology and pathology

Particle-network interactions, hematocrit, aggregation, cell deformability, blood cell interactions with endothelium. Implications for oxygen delivery, optimum hematocrit, shear stress in the circulation.

Lecture 4: S. Shevkoplyas. Blood microfluidics

Basic principles of microfabrication and microfluidics; fabrication of networks of microchannels with rectangular and circular cross-sections, modulation of specific and non-specific adhesion of blood cells to channel walls in microfluidic devices.

Lecture 5: D. Fedosov. Modeling the mechanics of single blood cells and their behavior in flow

Red blood cell model, red blood cell mechanics, membrane fluctuations: passive vs. active, motion of red blood cells in microfluidic channels, sorting of cells based on their intrinsic properties in microfluidics.

Lecture 6: M. Kameneva. Variation of red blood cell properties naturally and due to disease, storage, mechanical trauma, and therapies.

Factors affecting rheology of red blood cells: RBCs aging; Blood Bank storage; Gender and menopausal status. Intracellular Hb replacement for treatment of sickle cell disease; Fåhræus–Lindqvist effect before and after drag reducing polymers (DRPs); Boost RBC traffic using DRPs.

Lecture 7: S. Balabani. In vitro microfluidics for understanding microcirculation

RBC transport in bifurcations, cell depletion, hematocrit and velocity distributions, effect of RBC aggregation and deformability, aggregation quantification, advanced flow diagnostics 

Lecture 8: S. Shevkoplyas. Microfluidic devices for measuring mechanical properties and separating blood cells

 The dynamics of blood flow in artificial microvascular networks; high-throughput separation of blood cells based on physical properties; potential applications of blood microfluidics for diagnostic and blood processing applications.

Lecture 9: D. Fedosov. Modeling blood flow in microvessels

Blood flow in a vessel, Fahraeus-Lindqvist effect, margination of white blood cells in blood flow, margination of micro- and nano-particles and its effect for drug delivery, primary hemostasis, von Willebrand factor (VWF), VWF-platelet aggregates in blood flow.

Lecture 10: S. Lorthois. Blood flow at the scale of the organ: brain microflows

Blood flow at the scale of the organ: how to compile our knowledge of blood microflows for large-scale applications? Link with the experimental/imaging tools available at different scales